Jon Haigwood Posted June 7, 2014 Posted June 7, 2014 Picked up a Switchers 32 Ford released by Learning Curve in a trade. I see that MPC released what looks to be the same kit awhile back. Being out of the loop for awhile I am unfamiliar with Learning Curve and I would like a little more info on them . Thanks Jon
Mark Posted June 7, 2014 Posted June 7, 2014 Racing Champions (maker of diecast NASCAR items in different scales) bought Ertl, and with it AMT and MPC. They eventually moved away from NASCAR items and became RC2. In 2007, RC2 announced that, except for Johnny Lightning diecast cars, they were going to abandon "automotive" items (including shutting down AMT) and get more into educational toys, so they name-changed again to Learning Curve. The name change was made while AMT was still operating. Round 2 (not to be confused with RC2) stepped in and leased the rights to some of the "automotive collectible" brands (including AMT) in 2008. A couple years ago, Tomy bought out Learning Curve and sold to Round 2 the properties they had been leasing. So now Tomy owns Learning Curve (not sure if they still use the name) while Round 2 owns and operates AMT, MPC, and other car-related brands. Everyone has what they want now... 1
Danno Posted June 7, 2014 Posted June 7, 2014 Best, most succinct description of the ownership evolutions of those entities I've heard. Good job, Mark.
Jon Haigwood Posted June 7, 2014 Author Posted June 7, 2014 Thanks for the info. Sounds like a "who's on first" kinda deal. I am assuming that the LC kits is the same in quality and parts as the MPC kit .
Mark Posted June 8, 2014 Posted June 8, 2014 Thanks for the info. Sounds like a "who's on first" kinda deal. I am assuming that the LC kits is the same in quality and parts as the MPC kit . Parts content is pretty much the same. As a nostalgia exercise, they're pretty good, but the Revell Deuces have everything beat. If you are into '32 Fords, though, you'll probably want one of everything that's out there anyway. The '32 Ford kits (there were two, each with two body styles) are easier to assemble than the T-bucket Switchers kits.
Lunajammer Posted June 8, 2014 Posted June 8, 2014 Agreed, excellent debrief. Yet I can still barely connect the dots. Someone ought to do a visual timeline.
Jon Haigwood Posted June 8, 2014 Author Posted June 8, 2014 Thanks for the input. I have not decided what I am going to do with it yet. I have enough coupes. When I was preteen I built a lot of Phaetons but haven't done so since. I am thinking about some kind of Frankinphaeton with motorcycle fenders and a tonneau cover across the back half and maybe some other strange things.
Longbox55 Posted June 8, 2014 Posted June 8, 2014 Racing Champions (maker of diecast NASCAR items in different scales) bought Ertl, and with it AMT and MPC. They eventually moved away from NASCAR items and became RC2. In 2007, RC2 announced that, except for Johnny Lightning diecast cars, they were going to abandon "automotive" items (including shutting down AMT) and get more into educational toys, so they name-changed again to Learning Curve. The name change was made while AMT was still operating. Round 2 (not to be confused with RC2) stepped in and leased the rights to some of the "automotive collectible" brands (including AMT) in 2008. A couple years ago, Tomy bought out Learning Curve and sold to Round 2 the properties they had been leasing. So now Tomy owns Learning Curve (not sure if they still use the name) while Round 2 owns and operates AMT, MPC, and other car-related brands. Everyone has what they want now... That's pretty much right on target. However, in addition to continuing the Johnny Lightening die casts, they also continued the Ertl die cast tractor and farm equipment lines. Last time I checked, the packaging for JL and Ertl no longer mentions Learning Curve. Most of what I've seen says Tomy, but I have seen a couple of items that say Takara-Tomy on them as well. Takara and Tomy merged a few years back.
johnbuzzed Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 The Switchers series of kits was introduced by MPC around '72 or early '73. The idea behind them was the ability to be able to switch the options included with the kit to be able to redesign and rebuild the model. Many of the parts did, and still should, snap together to allow this switching. The kits were typical of MPC at the time- not extremely accurate but with some good parts. I have one of the Phaetons that my wife got me for Valentine's Day about 5 years ago; it will be a box-stock, beater rod. I built another, a T-bucket, I think, about... 41 years ago. I no longer have that one- bummer . You can't get too serious with these kits but they can be used as slump-busters, just to get something built.
Brett Barrow Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 (edited) Mark's correct except that Learning Curve wasnt just a name change, it was previously a separate company. In 2003 Racing Champions/Ertl acquired and merged with Learning Curve to form RC2 and continued to use the Learning Curve trademark on many products. Learning Curve is probably best known for making the wooden Thomas the Tank Engine toys. (Fun Fact: Ertl also made plastic versions, after the merger they were rebranded "Take-Along Thomas"). I remember that version of the Switchers. They used the original MPC box art, but without any MPC logos. Pretty sure these were done as a third-party reissue, but I can't remember who did them. Dirt Track Racecars, maybe? Edited June 9, 2014 by Brett Barrow
Mark Posted June 10, 2014 Posted June 10, 2014 I'm pretty certain the "original box art" Switchers kit(s) were a DTR deal (not Model King or Stevens International).
Greg Myers Posted October 1, 2014 Posted October 1, 2014 Yeah, it was John the Buzzard. Last shot at them was a reissue. but look what you could build.
Snake45 Posted October 1, 2014 Posted October 1, 2014 I have the reissued T, which I plan to build, and an original '32 Ford, which I also plan to build. I believe both the MPC (later AMT) American Graffiti and the AMT Coddington '32 Fords are based on the MPC Switchers kit. Interestingly, some issues of this kit have a chopped top, and some have an unchopped top. I forget which is which. I'm planning to build a Gasser out of the unchopped one, and an Altered out of the chopped one. The fit of the tops to the bodies isn't the greatest, which is the sticking point on my getting either one done, though I've done some work on them.
johnbuzzed Posted October 1, 2014 Posted October 1, 2014 Yep, thinking about my stash, I do have the Sedan/Phaeton issue from about... 2008. It's gonna be pretty much a box-stock "beater"- NOT a "Rat Rod", just a well-used-abused-and misused phaeton. I think the "American Grafitti" Milner's Deuce kit from MPC was based on the '32 "Ford" kit. And, waaayyyyy back in about '73, I built the '25 T.
rasafyff Posted October 1, 2014 Posted October 1, 2014 The Big Rig Rod and the Evil T were from this series.What I liked about these kits is they had full fenders.
High octane Posted October 1, 2014 Posted October 1, 2014 I thought the Switcher kits were pretty good for its time.
unclescott58 Posted October 1, 2014 Posted October 1, 2014 Wasn't there a Switcher kit that came with a '32 Sedan Delivery body, also? Scott
Daddyfink Posted October 2, 2014 Posted October 2, 2014 This one. One of my all time favorite childhood kits! Glad I have one still
unclescott58 Posted October 2, 2014 Posted October 2, 2014 This one. One of my all time favorite childhood kits! Glad I have one still That's the one. Is it a Switches kit, or not? Either way, that's one I'd like to see reissued. Scott
Modelbuilder Mark Posted October 2, 2014 Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) I used this one to make my 32 Ford Baron Most of the contents of the kits are not very good, Lots of flash, msuhy details, crude really. A few parts are still working their way onto other projects. The headers are currently onn my Spearmin-T project. Havnig said that, I would like to pick up the 25 and 27 at some point, and certainly the delivery, just have to catch them at a show. Edited October 2, 2014 by Modelbuilder Mark
Greg Myers Posted October 2, 2014 Posted October 2, 2014 The Big Rig Rod and the Evil T were from this series.What I liked about these kits is they had full fenders.
Daddyfink Posted October 2, 2014 Posted October 2, 2014 That's the one. Is it a Switches kit, or not? Either way, that's one I'd like to see reissued. Scott It is a Switcher and it was also issued a few years ago with the other ones.
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